Asheville’s Black Family Heritage Collection
The Quarters: Taken in the early 1900’s from the church yard of the historic St. Mathias Church, the area pictured was informally known as ‘The Quarters.’ The squared land mass geographically encompassed South Market Street, South Eagle Street, Spruce Street, Velvet Street, Valley Street (now South Charlotte Street), and South to Sycamore, (Hill Street).
Formally known as “Dicksontown,” the area was developed by Isaac Dickson and his wife, who bought one or two property parcels at a time, and built homes for inner city African Americans. Examining the photo, you can see Mt. Zion Church (center top), the old (domed) Asheville City Building (right of church), and the new Buncombe County Building.
St Anthony’s Catholic School was built in 1936 by the Catholic Diocese, and operated by the Franciscan Nuns. The school and adjoining church were built to service the needs of African American Catholics in Western North Carolina. This picture was taken of a third and fourth grade class in 1959; can you identify any of the students?
Mr. B.J. Jackson owned and operated with his family, one of the first African American businesses located “Uptown,” on East Park Square. The entire basement floor of the old Asheville City Building was filled with a wide variety of Jackson’s fresh vegetables, exotic and local fruits. Internationally noted local writer Thomas Wolfe made honorable mention of Mr. Jackson in his book “Look Homeward Angel”. B.J. Jackson was the father of Ruth Cannon, and grandfather of Shirley Singleton (both deceased), educators in the Asheville City Schools System.
